Girl, Ultra–Processed

New year, new me!

That's what Saffron Saldana tells herself as the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve.
Her resolution is the same every year: lose weight.
Because Saffron has it hard-wired that weight loss equals happiness. It's what she's been told her whole life - online, in magazines, especially by her own diet-obsessed mother. But dieting
is hard.

So to escape her own reality, Saffron creates Sydney, a super-slim, AI-generated 'perfect'
version of herself. Boys online love Sydney, and for Saffron, it's just a bit of harmless fun.

Until the boundaries of her life online and offline begin to blur . . . And one boy in particular makes her question her desire to be someone she's not.

Can Saffron find a way back to herself, and learn to love who she actually is?

Girl: Ultra-Processed explores what it is like to be a teenage girl in our current body-obsessed world while juggling family drama, friend dynamics, dating, betrayals and major life changes.

A searing look at diet culture and all its ugly consequences, from the talented writer of Influential.

Review

Thoughtful, sassy, and full of joy. A gift for a teenage girl - and a very enjoyable read for this adult reader, too. ― Pandora Sykes

Heartwarming, hard-hitting YA takedown of diet culture. ― Guardian

Hilarious even while exploring a pertinent and painful subject... I loved this book in so many ways. So much was relatable from the Trinidadian heritage to the Nick Cage stan to the uncomfortable discussion about passing body shame through generations. Saffron is an incredibly funny narrator and the family dynamics are so warmly written. ― Patrice Lawrence

What a book! A gorgeous page-turner about finding your worth, whilst unflinchingly exposing the insidious power of diet culture... Sends a powerful message about the importance of fighting a narrative that tells women and girls they'll never be good enough. I loved it. ― Louisa Reid, author of Handle with Care

Radically honest and uplifting. Saffron's journey to self-acceptance is wonderful and hard and inspiring. A timely and much needed book. ― Ayaan Mohamud

A love letter to messy, beautiful self acceptance. A slick and skilful exploration of internet v reality culture and the ever changing expectations of a body-obsessed world. I loved Girl, Ultra Processed, an honest and unflinching look at toxic diet culture, toxic friendship and our often toxic relationship with ourselves. ― Christine Pillainayagam, award-winning author of Ellie Pillai is Brown

This searing examination of diet-culture and its effect on young women is hugely pertinent and wrapped up in a gripping and satisfying narrative. ― The Bookseller

Packed with diverse and lively characters, it will appeal to fans of YA fiction that exposes the shallowness of living online and celebrates the power of self-expression. ― Books for Keeps

A thoughtful and believable first novel for 14+, exploring the nuances of cancel culture and the remorseless nature of internet scrutiny. ― Guardian on Influential

Sage has a keen eye for the realities of contemporary teenage life; Almond's voice is fresh and believable. ― Observer on Influential

About the Author

Amara Sage graduated from the Bath Spa MA for Writing for Young People with a distinction and lives in Bristol with her husband and two dogs. She writes contemporary, own-voice YA fiction that explores issues of body image, mental health, racial identity, and the impact that social media has on all of the above.